I posted here a few months ago requesting advice on how to adjust the injection pump timing on a Vanagon 1.6 TD JX engine... ...since then, between a couple of long trips away from my van, I managed to get a start on this work with a lot of help from the guys at The Samba, in particular Andrew Libby. The problem however, at The Samba is that few people over there have Diesels, so I have decided to document my work over here.

I am a complete newby to this kind of work, so if anyone can offer any comments or advice (even seemingly obvious stuff) I would very much appreciate it.

Looking good! Appears someone used a bunch of RTV on the pump for some reason.... Eewwwww.....

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I now have the waterpump apart - and am still undecided if I will: 1) simply put this pump back together and back in the van2) purchase a new pump and keep the old housing which seems fine3) purchase a new pump with new housing

the reason I consider simply putting the old pump back in is because when I removed the bolts to separate the pump from housing, those notoriously seized bolts just came off like butter. And the pump inside looks very good and new... ...and knowing how easy it is to change a waterpump, it might make sense for now just to keep this one in there.

But if I do that I need a new gasket - O-ring - and to figure out the right kind of sealant to use.

Not sure whether you know or not, but the worse thing about the T3s is how to bleed the cooling system. Do lots of research before driving it after replacing the water pump etc. Libby has a good trick using some plumbing to make a filler pipe stack, works great.

Not sure whether you know or not, but the worse thing about the T3s is how to bleed the cooling system. Do lots of research before driving it after replacing the water pump etc. Libby has a good trick using some plumbing to make a filler pipe stack, works great.

Yes, most certainly I will use the "LIBBY BONG" method to bleed the coolant system!

You have bigger fish to fry. The corrosion on the water pump and visible in the other pics indicates that you have acidified coolant. That is caused by acid formed from combustion products in the cooling system. Nothing else will do that. Fix it now before you have more problems down the road.

If you still have the old coolant check is "coolant voltage" with a DVM and a piece of brass. Set the DVM on the lowest DC volt scale and hook one lead to something brass. Put both leads (including the one with the piece of brass) into the coolant. You get a "brass/acid" acid battery that way. The voltage read indicates how much acid is in the coolant.

.050 volts DC an you are golden..300 volts and you have trouble..450-.700 volts and you are toast.

You have bigger fish to fry. The corrosion on the water pump and visible in the other pics indicates that you have acidified coolant. That is caused by acid formed from combustion products in the cooling system. Nothing else will do that. Fix it now before you have more problems down the road.

If you still have the old coolant check is "coolant voltage" with a DVM and a piece of brass. Set the DVM on the lowest DC volt scale and hook one lead to something brass. Put both leads (including the one with the piece of brass) into the coolant. You get a "brass/acid" acid battery that way. The voltage read indicates how much acid is in the coolant.

.050 volts DC an you are golden..300 volts and you have trouble..450-.700 volts and you are toast.

Thanks Toby... I have had the coolant out for a long time already so not possible to check it. Yes you are right... the PO did not have ANY anti-freeze in the coolant at all! So it was corroding the engine (what an idiot!).

Anyhow I have not updated this thread for ages... since my last post I have done a huge amount of work - mostly with the help of Andrew Libby and some other great guys over on the Samba.

Here are the highlights:

cam out, checking valve lash

pulling IP sprocket

removing IP

removing glow plugs

IM shaft sprocket off

problems found

oily rear seal

crank sprocket off

ugly mess

working conditions

troubles removing oil pan

injectors out

hacked tranny mount

damaged muffler

turbo welded to exhaust

messy turbo

bent oil return line out

IM shaft out

fried bearing

crank plate off

a look at my turbo inside

oil inside turbo to intake hose

dip stick stuck into turbo from above shows that oil is not pooling inside turbo.